Prospect of Syria no-fly zone echoes action in Libya

The prospect of British involvement in a no-fly zone to tackle the bloodshed
in Syria comes a year after the end of a similar military mission in Libya
that was estimated to have cost the UK more than £1 billion.

Hailed as a success following the toppling of Colonel Gaddafi, it saw the RAF fly hundreds of sorties against targets in the North African country.

The allied mission gave relief to rebels who had risen up against the dictator after they became pinned down in their stronghold of Benghazi, and eventually helped bring about their ultimate triumph.

It lasted from March to October. In June, the Ministry of Defence admitted that the war could cost taxpayers £260 million but according to later analysis the cost of the operation until the end of August was between £850 million and £1.75 billion.

The revolt had erupted in mid-February as part of the Arab spring, a wave of popular unrest across the Middle East. But by the time the allied mission began, Gaddafi’s forces were on the verge of marching on Benghazi.

Raids smashed the dictator’s air force before the conflict appeared to head towards stalemate, with ill-trained rebels struggling to fight their way west towards Tripoli.

But with Nato destroying thousands of targets, they eventually took the capital in August, sending Gaddafi into hiding.

It was an alliance air strike that hit his convoy as it fled Sirte, leading to his capture and killing on October 20.

A coalition led by the United States, France and Britain launched the first salvos in the air war on March 19, before handing over command of the mission to Nato on March 31.

The alliance, joined by Arab partners Qatar and United Arab Emirates, flew some 26,000 sorties and destroyed almost 6,000 targets during the conflict.

The Ministry of Defence disclosed that Britain hit more than 900 targets, including secret police headquarters, command bunkers, tanks, rocket launchers and armed trucks. British combat aircraft flew more than 1,600 missions over Libya.

British warships stationed off the coast, and aircraft, also delivered humanitarian aid as well as rescuing refugees.

One of the vessels, HMS Liverpool, became the first warship since the first Gulf War to come under enemy fire.